I just purchased this book and I'm about 100 pages in, so far it's very good and very deep, but Marie Antoinette is portrayed as very unpleasant and haughty. I'm hoping she won't be like this further into the book... other than that, it's delightful!

Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:23 pm

Therese

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:04 pmPosts: 2266

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

I noticed that, too. I think that the queen is portrayed that way since that is the way many of the French people saw her.

_________________I forgive all my enemies the harm they have done me.

Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:25 pm

Madame Vigée-Le Brun

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:10 pmPosts: 276

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

Catherine Delors seems to speak highly of Marie Antoinette on her blog, so I guess you're right, Therese.

Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:11 pm

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

Let's hope so. I haven't the time to read much of anything at the moment, but when you are finnished please give a star rating, so I don't have to waste money.

Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:27 pm

Madame Vigée-Le Brun

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:10 pmPosts: 276

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

I'm more than half-way through it and I'll give it four and a half stars so far, I recommend it as long as you can deal with the main character's hatred of Marie Antoinette.

Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:50 pm

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

Madame Vigée-Le Brun wrote:

I'm more than half-way through it and I'll give it four and a half stars so far, I recommend it as long as you can deal with the main character's hatred of Marie Antoinette.

Then I suppose I should stay away, I tend to get very angry when people speak ill of her.

Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:45 pm

Madame Vigée-Le Brun

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:10 pmPosts: 276

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

So do I, but the story, other than that, is very entertaining.

Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:20 am

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

Even so.

Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:12 am

Arietta

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:07 pmPosts: 328Location: Maryland, USA

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

I read this book as well. It's enjoyable story. Catherine Delors has an interview about her book on her website including her view on Marie Antoinette.

Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:20 pm

Comte de Provence

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:00 pmPosts: 2161Location: France

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

I'll look that up.

Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:04 pm

ShaktiValkyrie

Marquis/Marquise

Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:14 amPosts: 98Location: Colorado

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

I'm about half way through and was surprised by the introduction of MA. However, as much as I liker her, there were obviously tons of people who didn't. Gabrielles feelings towards the Queen probably represent the feelings of most of the people by the time she arrived in Paris. I'm used to reading books about Antoinette and where she was coming from. This is the first book that I have read where we are looking at life through the eyes of a "lower class" woman. Noble by forced title only. To be honest, no matter how much I adore Marie Antoinette, the way she was raised and then learned to live in Versailles style she might have been a little snobby. Especially after their conversation while gambling. You can tell by the authors blog that she personally really likes Marie Antoinette, which leads me to think she's probably close to how it might be. Plus, by the time they met, the bad days had already started. I'm sure Antoinette had her guard up so to speak. However, even though the Queen may not be all nice in this book, it is a very engaging story!! (Plus the chapters are short which makes it a good book to read before going to bed. You don't have to worry about stopping in the middle of a chapter. LOL On the other hand I keep thinking, "Well it's only a few more pages...")

_________________"The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose." ~~Hada Bejar

Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:32 pm

Christophe

Prince/Princesse

Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:04 amPosts: 253Location: Texas.

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

I read this book and thought it perfectly awful, for many reasons. Chief among them is Madame Delors' depiction of the Revolution and the events leading up to it. For somebody who supposedly did so much research, she seemed to go out of her way to twist facts, and in some cases outright lie, all in order to paint the Revolution and its bloodthirsty leaders in the best possible light, while making their victims seem either stupid or criminal. Every member of the Royal Family (including M.A.) mentioned in the book is portrayed as being rude and ugly, while of course her revolutionary characters are all very handsome and heroic. I found it disgustingly dishonest.Several times in the story she asserted that the Royal Government (i.e., Louis) placed a tax on food during famine, thereby deliberately starving the poor. This never happened! At another point in the book, she claimed that M.A. hated the Duc de Lauzun (a major character) because he rejected her sexual advances! Everybody knows the real story I should hope! Lauzun---a notorious womanizer---made a pass at M.A., at which point she shunned him. He then went to ridiculous lengths to win back her favor, making him something of a comical figure at Versailles. Of course, when M.A. refused to acknowledge him, he joined her enemies. That's the real story!And that is just one falsehood. There are many others in this book, promoting all the tired old cliches about M.A. and the Revolution, which true historians have worked so hard to erase from the popular imagination. In the notes at the back of the book, Delors even goes so far as to claim that M.A. caused the Revolution. While I can accept her favorable opinion of the Revolution, or at least it's initial intentions, I delpore Delors' academic dishonesty, particularly when she attempts to portray some of the more horrible events (August 10th, September Massacres, M.A.'s Trial) in a positive light by twisting facts, ommitting others, and making up things that never happened. I gave this trash *one star* on Amazon.

_________________"One grows accustomed to one's enemy, and by making it familiar one loses the desire to get rid of it...." Marquise de la Tour du Pin, in a letter to her friend Mme. de Duras.

Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:55 am

Lilly

Royalty

Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:10 pmPosts: 710

Re: New novel: Mistress of the Revolution

That's why it's called a novel. People should NOT be reading novels and thinking they can believe what is contained therein. Novel = story.

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